Upgrading From Windows to Linux

Windows Sure Needs a Lot of Help

July 28, 2009

By
Matt Hartley

With the recession in full swing, I have found a growing number of people questioning
the value of moving onto Windows 7 upon its release. Not because there is anything wrong
with upgrading to Windows 7, but rather a concern that the prices for Windows 7 is
thought to be a bit high for the software offered.

Some individuals have pointed out that for those not already upgrading their PC
hardware, there is very little clear benefit to bothering to spend the funds for the new
operating system. Then, as if on queue, the one thing Microsoft had going for it was
changed.

Windows 7 is no longer available at promotional pricing. So a full version of this
operating system is going to set you back about $200 - this is not even for the ultimate
edition, either. Sad.

Regardless as to how well or poorly Windows 7 ends up doing, one thing is for sure.
Having alternative operating systems on standby only works to empower competition in a
very big way.

The problem is, like with any operating system, most people will choose to either have
it pre-installed or, at the very least, installed for them by a professional who is
familiar with such things.

If you stop to think about it, this is why we see PC repair techs, Apple Geniuses and
folks from Best Buy's Geek Squad staying so busy despite this recession. Most people just
want their PCs to work, upgrades or otherwise.

And because of this desire by most people, there is an opportunity for alternative
operating systems such as popular Linux distributions. But the challenge is making sure
the end user not the one stuck with trying to install these alternatives themselves.

Linux depot installation

For those in the industry, the term "depot install" is well known. Many businesses
rely on depot installations to get their PCs up and running with new OS upgrades.

So I think it stands to reason that we could see the same sort of thing taking place
in the Desktop Linux realm as well. After all, it's hardly a new concept. Some Linux OEMs
have been providing this service for a few years now. The singular stumbling block seems
to be that most people are not aware of such an alternative.

A company offering either depot installs on older PCs or pre-installation of Linux on
PCs is in a position to give Windows 7 a run for its money. The software savings alone is
enough to make the average person do a double take.

Price vs familiarity

We have established that switching existing single PCs over to Windows 7 is a costly
proposition. And as I pointed out above, offering Linux on PCs pre-installed would
eliminate any hassles trying to determine what will or won't work with whichever hardware
configurations.

But despite any given advantages here, there is still some concern as to familiarity
for the end user. The most user-friendly Linux distro in the world is still likely to
present some learning curve for many Windows users. While not insurmountable, they still
need to be addressed.

The price (free) sounds fantastic on paper, but we need to realize that we are
pitching a free operating system to a society that is happy to purchase water from their
local convenience store. Clearly, there is room for selling something worthwhile even if
the operating system is indeed, given away from nothing.

Perhaps video tutorials on how to get started with the most basic tasks bundled with
the free operating system is what's missing here? Explain which bundled applications will
take the place of the proprietary options previously used with Windows and suddenly the
switch to the new, cheaper OS does not seem so intimidating.

Unfortunately it might not be this simple. Even with the cost advantages and if we
begun seeing more preinstalled solutions made available, there are still some hurdles in
place that leave Windows 7 in the position of maintaining a significant advantage.

Linux lacks what is needed

If you were to set the CEO of some random big box store down in front of you and ask
why they choose not to take a more active roll in selling Linux as an alternative to
Windows, the answer might surprise you: These individuals don't see any money in it.

Think about it. It would not really be all that insurmountable to locate people to
provide support for Linux machines. And we certainly know that once configured and
managed, Linux can provide a very stable experience for the end user. Yet outside of a
netbook or two on these big box store's websites, you will never see any mention of Linux
whatsoever - why?

Remember the money aspect? For software and PC repair, Windows security is big
business. There remains a question as to what will fill this vacuum should a portion of
the Windows users buying new PCs or asking for depot installations opt for the open
source alternative instead.

Are they paying for malware removal or re-uping their anti-virus software
subscriptions? No, they most certainly are not.